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Morrissey at Eurovision?

Morrissey, former lead singer of British pop band The Smiths, is being lined up by the BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision song contest. It could mark a comeback for the UK, which has not won the competition in a decade.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the Eurovision song contest did actually celebrate the best of European song. In those glory decades, the competition helped boost the careers of stars such as Sandie Shaw, ABBA and Nana Mouskouri. Then the competition entered a decadent phase in the 1980s, and soon it earned a reputation as being novelty act-dominated kitsch.

Now British singer Morrissey -- unquestionably a national hero to many Britons -- may be set to save the contest's reputation and even win it for his home country. The BBC confirmed Tuesday that they were in negotiations with the 47-year-old singer, famous for being the lead singer of the seminal British band The Smiths, over his possible participation. The singer-songwriter revolutionized pop in the United Kingdom in the 1980s with his sophisticated and intelligent lyrics which addressed controversial topics such as depression, animal rights and death.

"Morrissey expressed an interest way back last year in writing for the contest and since then we have been in talks with him," a BBC spokeswoman said. However no decision has yet been made, the spokeswoman stressed. It is also not clear whether Morrissey would perform himself or only write the song.

The BBC is also talking to several other high-profile acts as it tries to "up the ante on the caliber of artists" taking part in the annual competition, the spokeswoman added.

What difference does it make?

The UK has not won since 1997 and performed particularly badly in 2006, coming fifth from last. Competition is becoming increasingly intense as the number of participating countries grows due to political developments such as the expansion of the European Union. Bulgaria and Moldova took part for the first time in 2005 and Armenia debuted in 2006.

Britain is one of the "Big Four" countries who automatically qualify for the contest, along with France, Germany and Spain. It first participated in 1957, the year after the contest started, and has won five times.

A spokeswoman for the singer confirmed he was in discussions about a possible participation but did not provide further details. "He was definitely approached after speaking out about it last year," the spokeswoman told Reuters.

The singer first expressed an interest in taking part after the UK's entry, "Teenage Life" by Daz Sampson, came 19th out of 24 in the 2006 contest. The competition was won by Finnish hard rock band Lordi, who dressed as monsters.

"I was horrified but not surprised to see the UK fail," Morrissey commented at the time. "Why didn't they ask me?"

This charming man

However even if Morrissey agrees to write a song, he will still have to win a qualifiying round to get through to the Eurovision finals, which will be held in May in Helsinki. The general public will vote for the British entry from a shortlist of candidates.

Some voters may be put off by the singer's outspoken criticism of the British government in the past, while others may ask why the singer, who has not lived in the UK for several years, should be representing the country. However, the Manchester singer will be able to count on the support of thousands of fiercely loyal Smiths fans.

If Morrissey does end up representing the UK, it could lead to a new era of star-studded Eurovision contests and a talent arms race as countries enlist their biggest stars. The 2007 contest could also turn into a grudge match between the UK and arch-rivals Ireland, Eurovision champions with seven wins. Morrissey is the son of Irish immigrants to the UK.

dgs/reuters